Relay



Patented Apr. 15, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application February 6, 1939, Serial No. 254,812

(Cl. 20o-111) 2 Claims.

, My invention relates to relay switches of a type used to make and break an electrical circuit through the energizing and de-energizing of a magnetic coil.

Considerable diiculty in the 4past has been experienced in producing a relay switch which is inexpensive, compact, and easily assembled and at the same time constructed in such a manner that the working parts thereof will move quickly and freely and also be protected against foreign particles such as dust.

Relay switches of this type, such as described in my co-pending application, Serial Number 119,180, filed January 6, 1937, and issued August 29, 1939, Patent Number 2,170,961 while eii'icient, practical, and easy to assemble, present certain difficulties. One diiiiculty in such a relay is that the armature rod Weight is notA sufcient to quickly break the contacts in the relay when the same is used in circuits carrying a great amount of current. A different amount of weight is needed in accordance with the amount of current used in the circuit in which the relay switch is placed. Another diiculty encountered is that the contact means on the solenoid tends to bind on the guide means, particularly when one of the contacts on said contact means does not move in the same horizontal plane with the other.

It is, therefore, among theobjects of my invention to provide an improved `switch relay in which the working parts may be easily and inexpensively assembled in a casing which prevents foreign particles from entering and interfering with the working of said parts.

Another object of my invention is to provide a guide means for the movable contacts in a switch relay which allows free movement of said,

contacts.

A further object of my invention is to provide a switch relay assembly in which all lead wires may be positioned at the end of the switch on which the contacts are mounted.

Another object of my invention is to provide the end 0f the solenoid rod, opposite the one carrying the contacts, with means for making said rod heavier or lighter as desired.

A still further object' of my invention is to provide means whereby the movable contacts will not be permitted to come in contact with lead Wires to the solenoid coil and thereby short circuit the same. y Other objects will be obvious or will appear during the course of the following specication. In accomplishing the above results, it has been found most satisfactory, according to one embodiment of the presentinvention, to provide a fixed contact mounting to be positioned in one end of the casing, said mounting having two spaced parallel bars between which thexed contacts are mounted. The bars arel so positioned that the movable contact member in the solenoid rod may freely move therebetween and the contacts on said movable contact member may cooperate with the xed contacts. The parallel bars also actA to separate the lead wires to the coil from the movable parts. y

I provide the opposite end of the solenoid rod with a weight, which may be varied, This Weight may move freely longitudinally since all wiring is located on the opposite end of the relay.

In the drawing is shown one of theA various possible embodiments to which my invention is by no means restricted, the drawing being merely by way of illustration and not by way of limitation.

In the drawing: l v

Figure 1 is an velevational view in section of the device of my present invention showingthe construction of the interior of the same;

Figure 2 is a horizontal section line 2 2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a partial sectionalview on the line 4 4 of Figure 1.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout theseveral Views.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawing, the switch relay of my present invention consists of an outer casing or`housing Il) of insulating material havingclosely fitted to the inside surface thereof adjacent one end, a hollow piece of insulating material Il forming a hollow portion on said casing of lesser diameter than the diameter of the remainder of the casing. An end cap I2 is4 held in position against one end of the hollow piece I I by pins I 3 extending through the casing i9, the end cap I2 sealing one end of the casing to prevent Adust or any other foreign material from entering the relay switch. i

A magnetic coil I 4, which has end flanges I5 and I5 and a hollow core Il `of insulating material, is contained within the casing I9, the flange I6 resting against the opposite end of the piece of hollow insulating material II.

Reciprocably mounted within the hollow core I'I is a solenoid rod I8 of magnetic material, preferably cold-drawn steel. A weight I9 of non` magnetic material, such as brass, is fastened to taken cn the the one end of the rod I8, preferably by means of screw threads on said rod. In this manner, weights of different sizes may be use-d on the rod in accordance with the amount of electric current used in the circuit in which the relay switch is to be inserted. A washer 2| of resilient material, preferably felt, is positioned on top of the weight |9 to prevent the weight from coming in contact With the end flange I5, thereby having a cushioning effect.

A pin 22 of non-magnetic material is fastened to the top of the solenoid rod I 8 by means of a pin 23. A sleeve 24 is loosely tted about the rod 22 and has a ilange 25 which rests against a spring 26 which encircles the rod 22. The opposite end of the sleeve engages a bar 21 of conductive non-magnetic material slidably mounted on the pin 22. Contact points 28 and 29 are mounted on the bar 21. A washer 30 which may be of paper or any other sound absorbing material, is fastened to the top of the bar 21 to prevent any hum or vibrating noise caused by the current passing through the magnetic coil I4. The top of the pin 22 is upset to form a head 3| and a washer 32 is placed between the head 3| and the washer 38. The spring 2G normally holds the bar 21 and washer 3|] against the washer 32 and head 3|.

Lead wires 33 and 34 run from the coil |4 through the slots 35 and 36 in the housing I8 and are connected into the circuit in which the relay is to be used.

A fixed contact mounting, comprising an upper disc 31 and a lower disc 38 spaced apart by washers 39 and 48 and held in this relation by eyelets 4| and 42, is mounted within the casing I0 at the top thereof. The bottom disc 38 has transverse parallel bars 43 and 44 spaced apart a suflicient distance to permit the movable switch bar 21 to longitudinally reciprocate therebetween. The bars 43 and 44 act as guiding means for the bar 21 and permit free longitudinal reciprocation of bar 21 as the coil I4 is energized and de-energized.

Since the bar 21, on which the contacts 28 Y.

and 29 are attached, is slidably and yieldably connected to the solenoid rod I8, both ends of the bar may, in some instances due to a loose tting of parts and an uneven movement of the solenoid rod I8 in the core I1, not be raised in the same horizontal plane. The guide means of my present invention consisting of the transverse parallel bars 43 and 44 allow free movement of the contact bar 21 and prevents binding between the guide means and the contact bar. 43 and 44 also prevent rotary movement of the bar 21. The lower disc 38 also has fixed contact points 45 and 45 positioned between the parallel bars 43 and 44 on either side of an aperture 45a. The contacts 45 and 46 are so spaced as to cooperate with the movable contacts 28 and 29 respectively. The aperture 46a is positioned above the head 3| of the pin 22. The bar 43 has an opening 41 for the lead wire 33 of the coil I4.

As shown in Figure 3, the guide bars 43 and 44 will prevent the bar 21 from rotating to such an extent as to cause a short circuit between the lead wires 33 and 34. It will be understood that the parallel bars 43 and 44 may be formed integrally with the disc 38, as shown in the drawing, or may be formed of separate pieces and fastened to said disc. It will also be understood that the bars may be mounted on the flange I5. Fixed contacts 45 and 46 are connected to the electrical circuit in which the relay is to be used by The bars r means of lead wires 48 and 49 which extend from said contacts between the upper and lower discs 31 and 38 and through slots 35 and 35 respectively in the casing I 8. The lead wires 48 and 49 are fastened to the contacts 45 and 46 by means of eyelets 50 and 5I. A top cover 52 is inserted inside of the casing I8 above the disc 31 and held in position by pins 53. This cover will prevent any dust or foreign particles from entering the relay.

This switch relay is assembled by placing the rod I8 inside of the hollow core I1 and placing the washer 2l and any desired weight I9 upon one end of the same. The spring 26 and sleeve 24 are then placed about the pin 22 and the Contact bar 21 placed on top of said sleeve. The washers 38 and 32 are then placed on top of said bar and the end of the rod 22 upset to form the head 3|. The coil and armature assembly are then placed inside the casing I Il, the flange I6 resting against the insulating material II. The lead wires 33 and 34 are placed in the slots 35 and 35. The xed contact mounting is then placed in the casing, parallel bars 43 and 44 being positioned either side of the bar 21 so that the bar 21 may reciprocate therebetween. The parallel bars will rest against the flange I5 and the lead wires 48 and 49 will be placed through the slots 35 and 36 respectively. The top cap 52 is then placed in position on the casing or housing I8, pins 53 being inserted to hold said cap in position. The end cap I2 is also placed in position at the bottom of the casing and held by pins 3.

In the operation of the relay, with the same assuming a vertical position, as shown in Figure 1, the solenoid rod I8 is normally in its lowermost position. Upon energizing the coil I4, the rod I 8 is moved upwardly until the movable contact points 28 and 29 contact the fixed points 45 and 46, which completes the external circuit of lead Wires 48 and 49. Since the bar 21 is yieldably mounted on the rod I8, rod I8 may move upwardly slightly after the contact points are in engagement, the head 3| entering the aperture 46a.

When the coil I4 becomes sufficiently deenergized, the weight I9 will move the solenoid rod I8 downwardly quickly disengaging the contacts 28 and 29 from the contacts 45 and 46, returning the solenoid rod I 3 to its lowermost position. Should the bar 21 be moved by the rod I8 so that the contacts 28 and 29 mounted thereon would not be moved in the same horizontal plane, no binding between the guide means and the movable bar 21 will take place since said bar is free to reciprocate between the parallel bars 43 and 44.

It is not my intention to limit the present invention to the embodiments of the invention herein described, but rather to include all equivalent structures as covered by the scope of the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a relay of the class described having a magnetic coil for actuation of an armature rod, both encased in an insulating housing forming chambers in both ends thereof, the combination of a movable switch member comprising a. bar bearing switch elements yieldingly connected to one end of said rod for longitudinal movement only, said bar being approximately the same width as said rod, a weight adjustably connected to the opposite end of said rod, a fixed contact mounting comprising inner and outer insulating discs spaced apart said inner disc having points` to contact said switch elements on said bar, parallel projections formed integrally with said inner disc and extending toward the adjacent end of said coil said projection being positioned either side of said movable switch member to prevent rotation of the latter and permit longitudinal movement of the same therebetween and to form a chamber between said guide members and said housing, connections from said coil extending from the end of said coil adjacent said guide members and through said chambers and end caps on both ends of said housing,

2. In a relay of the class described having a magnetic coil for actuation of an armature rod, both encased in an insulating housing, forming chambers in both ends thereof, the combination of a movable switch member comprising a bar bearing switch elements yieldingly connected to one end of said rod for longitudinal movement only, said bar being approximately the same width as said rod, a weight adjustably connected to the opposite end of said rod, a fixed contact mounting comprising inner and outer insulating discs spaced apart said inner disc having points 'to contact said switch element-s on said bar, parallel projections formed integrally with said inner disc and extending toward the adjacent end of said coil said projection being positioned either side of said movable switch member to prevent rotation of the latter and permit longitudinal movement of the same therebetween and to form a chamber between said guide members and said housing, connections from said coil extending from the end of said coil adjacent said guide members and through said chambers, lead wires from said switch points extending between said inner and outer disks and through said housing, and end caps on both ends of said housing.

ELMER SEVERIN BORGKVIST. 

